Improvement in notators for music



SAMUEL R. BROOKS.

improvement in Notators for Music.

Patented June 13, 87.

lrwentov PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL It. BROOKS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

IMPROVEMENT iN NOTATQRS FOR MUSIC.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 115,930, dated June 13,1871.

I, SAMUEL R. BRooKs, of the city and county of St. Louis and State oi'Missouri, have invented a new and useful Notator for Music, of which thefollowing is a speciiication:

Nature and Object 0f the Invention.

f ers and bring them in contact with the strip of paper passing at auniform speed beneath them.

Description of the Drawing.

Figure lis a perspective view of my notator. Fig. 2 is a verticalsection, showing the operation.

General Description.

A is the main frame of the machine, having sides a and bottom e2, andstanding, by means of legs B, upon the piano-top O. D are the keys ofthe piano, and d are small eye-bolts that are screwed fast therein,(either in front of or at the rear of the key-board.) These eyebolts maybe quite small, and'formed of silver or ivory, or other substance thatwill not be unsightly to the piano; or the eyes may be made in the bodyof the keys. E are wires or cords secured to the eyes d, and passing`through adjustable plates F. The plates F have an eye, f, through whichthe wire passes, and a slot, f2, traversed by a set-screw, G, by whichthe plate is secured to a ledge, H, projeetingforward from the lowerpart of theframe A, and extending as far as the keys of the piano uponeach side. These eye-plates are made adjustable by means ofthe slot andset-screw to regulate the tension of the wire. The notator would, forordinary purposes, be made twenty inches, more or less, in breadth, andthe extending ends of the ledge H may be braced thereto, or be securedto or rest upon the piano. Although twenty inches is given as theordinary width of the notator-frame, I do not limit my claim to anystated size or proportion or number of markers. One of the plates F islocated over each key, and serves as a guide to the wire as well as ameans of regulating the tension, as before stated. From the eye j" thewire passes through an eye, e', in a plate, I, attached to horizontalarms J extending forward from standards K secured to the sides a; andfrom the eye t' the wire passes to the depending short arm l of abell-crank lever, L. The levers L are fulcrumed on a bar, M, supportedat its ends by the standards K. The bar may also have any intermediatesupports found requisite. The levers L are held in position on thefulcrum-bar by a number of intervenin g washers, m. l2 are the longerhorizontal arms of the levers L. Projecting horizontally backward fromthe standards K are arms N O, which support bars l Q having perforationsp q, through which pass the vertical markers or styles 1t, which aresupported by spiral springs o", having bearing between the ripper' sideof the bar l and beneath the heads T2 of the markers. The markers mayhave a socket at the lower end to receive a soft pencil or other drysubstance to mark the strip of paper S passing beneath their ends 5 ormaybe tubular, as shown in Fig. 2, to receive a porous material, servingto hold ink or other dye or pigment. The markers are .depressed by thedownward movement of the arms Z2 of the levers L, the said arms playingin slots r3 of a comb, R2. The strip ofpaper S is suitablyruled, and itsends are wound upon rollers T T2, the former of which receives motionfrom a belt, u, connecting its grooved pulley t with the pulley U of aroller, V, which receives regular rotation from clock-work or othermotor that may be inclosed in a case, YV. The paper is pressed down uponthe top of the roller V by a rollerNZ, actingby force of gravity, orpressed downward by temper-screws e, or by springs. Between the rollersT2 and V the paper passes over a table, X, which may be cloth-covered toinsure the proper presentation of the paper to the markers. Y are slotsin the sides a. to receive the gudgeons of the roller T, to allow of itsremoval with the roll of printed paper. The gud geen of the roller T2may have a squared end, t2, to receive a key to rotate the roller whenceiling the paper thereon.

Operation.

The paper S is first wound upon the roller T2, except se much of one endas will extend over the table X and the rollerV to the roller T, towhich latter it is fastened. The clockwork or other motor is then put inoperation, which causes the paper to be drawn over the table and beneaththe markers at a uniform speed. Whenever a key ofthe piano is touchedthe wire attached to that key will cause the descent of thecorresponding marker, which will make a dot or line on the paper S, thetime being indicated by the distance between the marks and by theirrespective lengths.

The apparatus admits of application to an organ or melodeon, and inthese cases the length of the notes would be indicated by the length ofthe line inscribed by the marker, and the rests by the distance apart inthe direction of the movement of the paper.

The wires or cords E may pass over antifriction rollers at the bendingpointsthat is, at the eyes f and or may be connected to bell-cranks atthese points, so as to do away with almost all the friction.

The markers R may be hinged to the levers L, if desired, and the springbe applied to the lever, or to any other part, to raise the marl;- ersfrom the paper when the key is allowed to rise.

A frictionbrakc may be applied to the roller T2 to prevent the too easyunrolling of the paper therefrom.

The upper roller V2 may be covered with blotting-paper, or an endlessbelt of blottingpaper may pass around it and another roller to dry theink on the paper and prevent blurring.

Claims.

I claim herein as of my invention-- 1. The hollow markers R, adapted tocontain a crayon, pencil, or any suitable marking 1naterial, andemployed in combination with the levers L, wires or cords E, andcarrying-rollers T T2 V V2, substantially as described.

2. The adjusting-plate F, when constructed and applied as described, incombination with the wires or cords E, for the purposes specified.

In testimony of which invention l have here unto set my hand.

SAMUEL R. BROOKS.

lVitnesses:

SMIL. KNIGHT, Giro. H. DILLoN.

